The Challenge of our Age – Landing Page

End-of-life care gave 92-year-old Barbara DeWaters the freedom to meet her death with dignity, surrounded by loved ones in a place she cherished. Will aging Mainers like her get the same medical and emotional support as demand for Medicare-funded hospice services skyrockets?

When Maine looks in the mirror, it sees an aging face.

One in five residents is now 65 or older, and as their numbers rapidly grow, seniors are having a profound impact on the state. Housing, health care, transportation and caregivers are already in short supply for older Mainers, and the demands for more of these critical services will escalate quickly.

T

hrough the eyes and voices of Maine seniors, the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram is publishing an extended series that explores the aging of Maine, what it means for the state's economy and identity, and how it will shape the lives of so many of its people.

The project includes stories, videos and a comprehensive resource website to help families and caregivers find the assistance they need. Additional installments will be published throughout the year.

The challenges are many, and they show themselves in the lives of these Mainers.

Nursing home administrator Irving Faunce of Wilton saw what his own mother endured in the last years of her life. Today, he says the state is ill-prepared financially for the coming wave of people who will require extended geriatric care.

In a largely rural state that makes isolation all too real for many, Nancy Wise of Farmingdale takes the wheel herself, providing her elderly neighbors with the gift of mobility. And while she says she's happy to do it, she also admits: 'There aren't enough of us.'

Not enough health-field workers are being trained to care for the growing number of people like 70-year-old Donna Beveridge of Saco, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and offers a harbinger of sorts for the future of Maine.

Navigating a dizzying list of doctors, hospitals and rehab centers, Arnold and Corinne Murray have seen firsthand a health care system ill-suited to meet the needs of the elderly. The growing shortage of geriatricians will only compound the problem in a state where the aging population is exploding.​

The demand for home care – already unmet – is poised to explode as the state’s population propels into old age. Why, then, are programs that keep low-income seniors out of nursing homes so badly underfunded and how can we attract enough caregivers with such a meager wage?

Across Maine and the nation, a higher percentage of people are embarking on their old age unmarried. But many, like Doug Johnson and Flo Rich of Harpswell, are taking a fresh look at love, and walking into the future together.

Find the help you need.

Do you or a loved one need to find in-home care? Rides to doctor appointments? Financial or legal advice?

In the course of researching this special report, Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram reporters and content producers have assembled a broad and growing list of useful resources for seniors and their caregivers.

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The Challenge of our Age is the product of two distinct forces:

The sweeping power of demographic change, which will shape Maine for years to come, and the personal experiences of journalists at the Maine Sunday Telegram, who, like many other Mainers, are engaged in caring for their aging parents.

In reporting these stories, the newspaper reviewed thousands of pages of documents and conducted scores of interviews with expert sources in aging and related fields. Most of all, it relied on the firsthand experiences of Maine residents, who opened their lives to our journalists and shared their personal stories.

The lead writer on the project is Kelley Bouchard, and the lead photographer/videographer is Shawn Ouellette. Contributing writers include Tom Bell, Leslie Bridgers, Eric Russell, Jessica Hall and Gillian Graham. Digital Design Director Peter Vachon designed and built the project Web pages, with assistance from content producer Christian MilNeil. Brian Robitaille, page designer, produced the print pages. The project editor is Dieter Bradbury, deputy managing editor for news.